BAYT Interviews Ep. 6: Hamza and Ghazi Bilbeisi
From left to right: Ghazi Bilbeisi and Hamza Bilbeisi
Welcome to the sixth installment of BAYT’s interview series! In today’s feature, we highlight two stellar Jordanian-American entrepreneurs in the gourmet sauce space: Hamza and Ghazi Bilbeisi. Inspired by the Arab hospitality and the power of food present in their homeland of Jordan, the two brothers ventured to create Mr. Moustache Foods.
We hope that you enjoy the heartfelt, impactful responses of Hamza and Ghazi. It was a great honor interviewing them and spotlighting their entrepreneurial success!
Q: What is an important value or belief you have that stems from your ethnicity?
A: We've been raised with a notion of hospitality without conditions or expecting anything in return. Just simply because its a noble act. I feel like that underlying notion of hospitality is pretty standard across the Arab world, and I love that. An overwhelming majority of our lasting childhood memories revolve around a table surrounded by family - cousins, uncles, grandparents, etc. And when we brought friends or visitors into that space our family would never treat them like they were outsiders.
Q: How has running Mr. Moustache Foods strengthened the Arab community and your personal connection to Arab culture?
A: I can only say that I hope Mr. Moustache has offered an image of Arab joy, warmth, and cultural richness. And we don't actually see our brand as being just for Arabs. I love the idea of us writing our own narratives, especially in a time where we're constantly misunderstood and mischaracterized. And I think it's a powerful thing for us to talk about what makes our heritage rich, warm, and a joy for others to engage in. So in that way Mr. Moustache is for Arabs but it's also an invitation for just about anybody and everybody, even from outside the culture, to come sit with us and partake in that joy.
Q: What is the most valuable aspect of sustaining your business, in your opinion? How does it inspire you to continue your efforts?
A: Running a business is hard work. Which everybody says, so maybe it's a cliche. But it really is true that it is brutal running a business some days. So it's been so important for us to have a "Why?" at the heart of it, and that's what drives us. For us that "Why" is not compromising on the core tenets of our culture - hospitality without conditions, warmth, depth - while also creating a product that is actually good for people to consume. We feel proud that we can uphold these values while feeding people something 100% clean. There's a lot of ways to cut costs by putting junk and fillers in food, but we'd rather do things more consciously. We've gotten reviews from non-Arab customers who have gut issues and they're just happy to try something new with great flavor and totally non-toxic.
Q: Which of your gourmet sauces is your favorite? Which Middle Eastern dish does it pair the best with?
A: Right now we're just rolling with our Signature Pomegranate Hot Sauce, which is delicious by the way (for those who haven't tried it yet). But we're so excited about our products in the pipeline: A date-sweetened BBQ sauce, with a smoky Arab flavor undertone, and a green Za'atar hot sauce. Plus more! People aren't ready for what we have coming!
Be sure to follow Mr. Moustache Foods on their Instagram (@mrmoustachefoods). Their website is mrmoustachefoods.com
